Pakistani Army Faces Backlash Over Proposed Internment Centers in Balochistan

The Pakistani Army is planning to establish internment centers in Balochistan, mirroring those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Critics argue this will formalize enforced disappearances, fostering human rights abuses. Former senator Farhatullah Babar and rights groups have voiced alarm, warning of potential severe human rights violations.

The Pakistani Army is reportedly planning to set up internment centers in Balochistan, akin to those previously established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). These controversial centers are compared to the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison complex or covert 'black sites' in Afghanistan, according to the Balochistan Post. Critics warn that these facilities, overseen by non-civilian personnel and restricting family and legal access, could institutionalize enforced disappearances in the region.

Expressing concern, former senator Farhatullah Babar said, 'Deeply concerned over reports of setting up internment centers in Balochistan. These opaque centers run by non-civilians arbitrarily without allowing access to family/legal aid in merged districts of KP, are Guantanamo Bay prisons and used to formalize enforced disappearances,' Babar stated on X. In KP, similar centers were established under the Actions (in Aid of Civil Power) Regulation of 2011, applied retrospectively to 2008. These regulations granted security forces extensive powers to arrest and detain individuals indefinitely and authorized the formation of internment centers.

In 2019, the Peshawar High Court ruled these KP centers 'unconstitutional,' citing indefinite detention without trial as a violation of fundamental rights and due process. Despite this, reports indicate these facilities persist in KP and might now be established in Balochistan. Local rights groups report a proliferation of such 'torture' centers inside military cantonments in Balochistan, though neither the Pakistan Army nor the government publicly acknowledges their existence.

Baloch rights organizations describe the centers as sites of disappearance, torture, and extrajudicial interrogation. The Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP) claims over 45,000 Baloch individuals have vanished, attributing these disappearances to Pakistani forces. The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) noted the high number of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, with Pakistani authorities typically denying or not addressing these allegations.

The proposed formalization of these centers is seen as an attempt to legitimize enforced disappearances under the guise of national security and counter-terrorism. Critics argue that creating these Guantanamo-like centers will lead to severe human rights violations, further destabilizing the region. As of now, the Pakistani Army and government have not publicly responded to these concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)